


Ridiculous and endearing and inconvenient

by glim



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Community: summerpornathon, M/M, Sleepiness, Team Gluttony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-07
Updated: 2013-08-07
Packaged: 2017-12-22 15:38:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/914965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glim/pseuds/glim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Everything about the situation is ridiculously endearing, from Merlin's bleary expression to his chipped mugs for tea to his bare feet sticking out from under the duvet.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ridiculous and endearing and inconvenient

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Summer Pornathon 2013 Challenge 4: Sleep

"Well, at least I know you weren't trying to stand me up." 

Merlin reaches for the cup of tea Arthur offers him and tries to snuggle himself down further into the duvet. "I'm not actually ill, you realize."

"Mmh." Arthur places his own tea on the side table, settles himself on the bed next to Merlin, and runs his palm over Merlin's bed-rumpled hair. "You sound pretty awful. Maybe I ought to be glad you missed my first three calls if you sounded worse than this when you woke up." 

Merlin's ear flush pink with embarrassment. "... just hay fever," he mumbles into his tea, "took my antihistamine tablet last night..." He lowers his mug to rub at his eyes and his nose. "In the middle of the night. Didn't think I'd actually oversleep, though. I was looking forward to breakfast." 

Between the quiet wistful tone in Merlin's voice and the huskiness still roughing it up, Arthur's heart does a little flip in his chest. Of all the places he ought to be right now, here is not one of them. Of all the appointments in his calendar, of all the events that have been planned for the past few months, of all the places that the Prince of Wales needs to be on this Tuesday morning, a small bedsit in a university town is most definitely not one of them. 

"That might be my fault, expecting you to be ready by six, when I have a meeting at ten." Arthur leans in to nuzzle against Merlin's ear, breathes in the bed-warm scent of his skin, and smiles when Merlin shrugs, then yawns. "Finish your tea," he murmurs, and takes the cup when Merlin's about ready to doze off against him.

Everything about the situation is ridiculously endearing, from Merlin's bleary expression to his chipped mugs for tea to his bare feet sticking out from under the duvet. Two months, one of which they spent bickering at each other over emails and texts, doesn't seem quite long enough to cause the fluttering warmth inside Arthur, but there it is. 

Ridiculous and endearing and inconvenient.

It doesn't matter, Arthur decides, and presses a kiss into Merlin's hair. He'll make it convenient. He'll rearrange the parts of his life that aren't planned out on a yearly calendar, he'll fit Merlin into the empty spaces and ask the best way he knows how to be fitted into the same spaces in Merlin's life. 

Because, really, this is what Arthur wants: to be sprawled out on Merlin's bed, half-dressed for the day, awake while Merlin's still sleep-mussed and bleary. He wants to start most of his mornings too early so he can press his face into Merlin's hair and slide his hand over Merlin's stomach to coax pleased murmurs from Merlin as he wakes up. 

Arthur rests his hand on Merlin's stomach to feel the rise and fall of his breath; when Merlin edges closer and nudges one of his bare feet against Arthur's, he slides his hand lower. Merlin's half-hard, and he arches with a tired sigh to press himself up closer to Arthur's hand. 

"Feels good," Merlin says, his voice still rough and tired, and sighs again as Arthur strokes his cock.

"You're hardly awake." 

Merlin makes a little sound at the back of his throat, sleepy pleasure and agreement, and shifts so his body is a line of warmth all along Arthur's body. He makes the sound again when Arthur strokes him to full hardness and rests his hand atop Arthur's when Arthur makes a move to tug down his boxers.

"Don't need to rush. Just..." He gives a little half shrug and rolls his hips to rub his cock up against Arthur's hand.

From there, Arthur gives what has to be the longest, laziest hand job. He keeps stroking Merlin through his boxers, until he's hard from touching Merlin and listening to his breath quicken. 

When Arthur finally touches him, skin to skin, Merlin gives a gasp that sounds as if it comes from somewhere deep inside. He arches and moans, and comes messily over his stomach and Arthur's hand. 

His eyes are bright when he turns to look at Arthur and his lips are warm and urgent when he presses them to Arthur's mouth. "Stay," he says, "stay all morning. Here, in bed, with me."

"Maybe longer," Arthur says.


End file.
